BLUES GRASS

Blues Grass — the debut album from Ojai, California’s Van Allen Twins — doesn’t just blur the double yellow line between bluegrass and the blues; it barrels straight across the eight-lane highway of American roots music. Across 12 tracks, siblings Kellen and Dréa Van Allen relocate swaths of Appalachia to the California coast, forging a sound that’s equal parts front-porch pickin’ and juke-joint fire.

Produced by Eric Corne (2X Grammy nominated), Mastered by Mark Chalecki (formerly Capitol Records) and recorded at Love Street Sound (Robby Krieger of the band The Doors’ studio) in Los Angeles, CA. Blues Grass captures the raw electricity of a band that evolved organically—from siblings playing music for the joy of it, to a duo, to a trio, and now a fully realized roots powerhouse.

At the heart of the record are two powerful vocalists and songwriters with distinct but deeply complementary voices. Dréa is the blues — a commanding singer, harmonica player, and songwriter whose harp-driven grit and emotional delivery anchor the band’s soulful edge. Kellen is the grass—a dynamic vocalist and multi-instrumentalist whose driving banjo, resonator, and guitar work bring urgency and mountain-born fire. He describes his banjo approach as “untamed,” and that restless energy runs through the album. Together, they blend internal rhythms that once ran parallel into a unified, kinetic force.

Dréa first picked up harmonica nearly 15 years ago after Kellen handed her her first harp on a backpacking trip — a spark that became a calling. Kellen, already a guitarist, found his way to banjo years later, deepening his connection to acoustic traditions. When Dréa moved back to California during the pandemic, the siblings began gigging almost immediately. Upright bassist Johnathon Maxson joined about a year and a half later, grounding the sound with steady low-end drive, and drummer Greg Weiser completed the lineup, adding rhythmic depth and stylistic versatility.

The core band

Dréa Van Allen – lead vocals, harmonica, rhythm guitar
Kellen Van Allen – lead vocals, guitar, resonator, banjo
Johnathon Maxson – upright bass
Greg Weiser – drums

is further elevated by a decorated cast of guest musicians, including:

TD Lind (Tim Arlon) – piano and B3 organ
Aubrey Richmond – fiddle
Phil Glenn – mandolin

The result is an album rich in dimension—from high-lonesome harmonies and barn-burning banjo runs to harmonica-soaked laments and blues-drenched storytelling. The rhythm section moves effortlessly between bluegrass drive, country swing, contemporary folk textures, and deep blues swagger, creating expansive playgrounds for both the core band and guest soloists.

Both Dréa and Kellen are writing more boldly than ever—and now, after years of developing as solo artists who became a duo and then a band, they’re beginning to write together, pushing their sound even further. From bluegrass to blues and nearly every point between, Blues Grass goes beyond genre. It almost creates one.

With Blues Grass, The Van Allen Twins don’t just introduce a debut album—they establish a hybrid roots sound that feels timeless, road-worn, and entirely their own.